Also good to know that API makes good reliable test kits, there are plenty of those at my LFS and they seem to be within a reasonable price range!

Except for calcium, nitrates, phosphates, and magnesium, I use API for everything else. The fact that you can get them darn near anywhere for cheap, and they're fairly reliable, makes them a good value in my book. I only use other brands (Salifert) when the API tests don't have enough resolution for my taste.